


The Acceptance

by Musetotheworld



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-07
Updated: 2016-11-07
Packaged: 2018-08-29 13:55:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8492338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Musetotheworld/pseuds/Musetotheworld
Summary: Sequel to The Arrangement, picks up right where that left off, and includes the answer to the question 'who targeted Cat Grant'.
A pretend relationship has turned real, leading to issues to face before things can deepen between Kara and Cat. Alex is still searching for whoever dared hurt her sister, and receives help from an unlikely source.





	

**Author's Note:**

> It's been too long since I've read a good "Astra isn't dead because I say so" fic, and since this was started in August (whoops) back when it hadn't been all that long since Astra died, I went with it. It had always been the plan, but now I actually got around to finishing it.
> 
> Also! I tried to keep this relatively legal code compliant, but as my law school graduate sister told me, it doesn't quite manage. So if anyone out there is as in love with legal code as she is, my apologies in advance, and I'm claiming it's a canon universe alternate legal reality.
> 
> I'm still working on December, but I have a bit of writer's block with that storyline, and since it's NaNo month and I use that as a push to write every day, I'm finishing some old WIPs to keep my daily word count up and hopefully shake me out of the block.

"Is it safe to come back in yet?" Alex calls from the hallway sometime after Kara and Cat had let their gentle kisses taper off, content to just stand in each other's arms. "Because you're not leaving without a last check, and I'm not risking myself or the kid."

"Sorry, that's one of the joys of having an older sister," Kara says with a blush, wanting to apologize for the end of their moment. "Once she knows I'm okay, she can't resist finding something to tease me about."

"It's obvious she cares for you quite a bit, there's no need to apologize," Cat says with an attempt at a dismissive tone, and Kara tightens her hold slightly to keep her from pulling away. They've been emotionally open in a way that only a near miss can bring about, and that can't be comfortable for Cat. But Kara doesn't want to lose the progress that they've made.

"Cat-" she starts, not sure what she's going to say, but needing to know what happened wasn't just the emotions of the moment.

"We'll talk later, Kara" Cat interrupts to promise, and Kara can't help a small sigh of relief. "I'm not changing my mind or pulling away already. But this isn't the place."

"Okay," Kara agrees, as much as she wants to push forward now, she knows Cat is right. They're both tired and emotional from the events of the night, and this thing between them deserves a proper discussion sometime when they can actually sit down by themselves. "You can come in, Alex," she says a little louder, knowing her sister is probably listening at the door, hoping to hear something she can use against Kara later.

"Can't blame me for double checking," Alex says with a smirk as she opens the door, Carter smiling behind her as they enter. "But there's some grumbling about two civilians being here, so we'll need to see about getting them home as quickly as we can. And before you threaten to melt my face off, if you're not ready to leave then neither are they."

"Well then, tell me if I can go," Kara says impatiently, not feeling up to fighting protocol at the moment. She will if she needs to, no one will keep Cat from her side after the attempts on her life, but with the new developments all Kara really wants to do is go back to Cat's apartment and sleep. She isn't sure if they'll share a bed, but even being under the same roof, falling asleep to the peaceful sound of Cat's heartbeat would be enough for her tonight.

"You'll have to let your girlfriend go for that to happen," Alex teases, earning a small smirk from Cat and matching blushes from Kara and Carter.

"You know, Agent Danvers, for someone who spent an hour glaring at me when we first discussed the security risks of me pretending to date your sister, you're remarkable determined to push us into actual dating. And before we've had a chance to discuss it, even." The smirk hasn't faded from Cat's face as she stares at Alex almost challengingly, and Kara can tell she's enjoying the slightly barbed conversation between them.

"Believe me, I'll do a lot worse than glare if you're dumb enough to walk out of this room not dating Kara. And if you hurt her, of course. But let's be honest with each other here, I just watched Kara completely ignore her own pain to make sure you were safe, and you lose it over the fact she got hurt to protect you, and that means something. There's not much anyone can do to earn my trust when it comes to Kara, and I never expected you to be one of the few who did, but you proved me wrong tonight and I'm a big enough person to admit that." Alex doesn't flinch from Cat's stare, doesn't back down from the challenge in the slightest.

"You should never underestimate me, Alex," is all Cat says as she finally steps back from Kara's embrace, crossing the room to where Carter is obviously trying to pretend the conversation isn't happening.

"Okay, play nice you two," Kara says before Alex can respond, looking between them pleadingly. "It's been a long night, I'm tired, and I would really like to get out of here at some point while it's still night."

"You kind of missed that already," Carter finally chimes in, looking vaguely apologetic. "You were out for a long time, it's like 9am." That explains why Alex looked so worried, and why Cat had reacted so strongly to seeing her hurt. Kara is supposed to be indestructible, to take hits and keep swinging. They all know better by now, but every time she doesn't get right back up is an unwelcome reminder that not even a superhero is immune to pain.

"Then I'm just in time for breakfast," Kara teases, hoping to lighten the mood. "I missed my midnight snack, I'm starving."

"Let me take a few readings, then you and your stomach can get out of here," Alex says with a sigh, and Kara knows the humor worked. "Last time you went on a hunger rampage we couldn't find an Oreo within 50 miles for a week."

It doesn't take long to clear Kara, and within the hour she's leading the Grants out of the DEO to a waiting vehicle. As much as she wants to stay immediately at Cat's side for the next week, Kara knows that after the footage of her looking weak hit the internet she needs to be seen by the public. Thankfully it's not even 10am on a Saturday morning, so there shouldn't be anything to pull her attention away from the SUV. She can fly a few laps around the city, maybe stop a fight or two if they're bad enough to warrant her help, and show the world she's recovered all while keeping an eye on Cat from above.

It's not perfect, and Kara hates the fact that her responsibilities to the city make it necessary, but she has to admit that with a full DEO escort Cat is just as safe as she would be if Kara were in the car with her. Now that Kryptonite is involved, and with a direct attack on Supergirl, Alex and J'onn have pulled agents to escort Cat and provide discreet security should another attack occur.

That escort gives Kara the opportunity to check Cat's apartment for any threats, and Kara is relieved when nothing seems out of place. The past months spent all but living there have given her a great deal of familiarity with every inch of the layout, and nothing seems to have moved from the last time she'd checked. She also doesn't feel the sense of unease from the dinner that she now realizes was the beginning of a reaction to Kryptonite, so she feels safe calling down for the agents to bring Cat and Carter up.

Once they're in, an awkward silence falls as they the adults adapt to being in a familiar space following an unfamiliar development. Kara's easy familiarity in the space seeming to vanish in an instant as she wonders what is and isn't appropriate. Cat seems unbothered, but her uncharacteristic silence and stillness prove something is bothering her. Normally Kara wouldn't hesitate to ask, but she doesn't want to overstep if the source of discomfort is the changes between them.

Carter eventually breaks the silence by grabbing a pan and mixing bowl with an expectant look. "So, who's making the pancakes, because I'm almost as hungry as Kara," he asks with a pointed look, and it's enough familiarity to ground Kara and Cat, at least temporarily.

"I will, if your appetite matches Kara's, I'm sure you'll both be grabbing stacks as quickly as I make them," Cat says with a sigh of exasperation Kara knows she doesn't feel. If it was just her, maybe, but by now it's obvious Cat will deny Carter nothing.

"We could totally be patient," Kara tries anyway, glaring at her stomach as it betrays her with a loud grumble. "Okay, so patient might not be the right word, but I can wait anyway," she amends, earning a laugh from Carter.

"As tempting as it is to make you both wait like decent humans, the fact that one of you is not does tend to make that difficult. And if I can't expect the adult to wait, I can't very well expect my son to either," Cat says with a long suffering sigh, already mixing the ingredients.

And just like that things are back on track, familiar banter flowing between them as Cat cooks and Kara devours three pancakes for every one Carter finishes. She's tempted to push and make it four, but despite the hunger gnawing at her stomach she holds back to make sure Carter gets enough, and that there's nothing extra for Cat to tease her about. When she eats too quickly, especially if she's splitting her attention to hold a conversation, things can get a little messy. Not exactly the impression she wants to give today.

Once Kara's pace slows, Cat finishes up the last few pancakes and joins them with a plate of her own. "Alex wants you to rest today," she says quietly as Carter clears his place, heading down the hallway towards his room after a quick glance in their direction, about as subtle as Kara on a good day.

"I figured as much," Kara says with a sigh. "She usually does after a close call, not that I can blame her. I'm actually surprised she let me leave my sunbed today at all."

"Your sister knows the importance of picking her battles," Cat smirks, obviously recalling some conversation that must have happened while Kara was out. Maybe someday she'll have the courage to ask about it. "As should you, so now that you've eaten a ridiculous amount of pancakes, you should get some sleep."

"I'm not that kind of tired," Kara tries, because she isn't. She's still vaguely exhausted from the Kryptonite and the strain of flying around the city as if everything is fine, but she's not ready for sleep. "I'll still rest," she hurries to add when Cat starts to glare, "but I don't need sleep. Just sunlight."

Kara doesn't mention the slight worry that if she falls asleep, they'll keep putting off the conversation about what they are now, and how they're going to handle that change. Avoiding it now might be easier, might give them time to think, time to rest and wait until they're both on solid emotional footing. But it might also result in total avoidance, which Kara doesn't want. She's happy things have changed between them, but she doesn't want to leave it on uncertain ground. Whatever this is, whatever it could be, she wants to know where they stand.

"Fine, but flying off to save the day is strictly off the table," Cat says with a dismissive wave of her hand that does nothing to hide her true emotions. Kara knows she's worried, a little overwhelmed, and wanting to cling to habits and normalcy for a while longer.

"Why don't you sit with me then, keep an eye on me to make sure I behave?" Kara isn't trying to be seductive or tease, but there's no mistaking the brief flash in Cat's eyes, so she files that information away for a later date. After all, she's supposed to be resting.

Cat agrees, as Kara had expected her to, and leads the way out onto her secluded balcony, sitting at the end of the couch that's still in shade, leaving the rest of the room for Kara. And Kara feels almost pulled towards the sun that's streaming down onto the other end of the couch, but she also needs to be close to Cat. So she takes the only position that makes sense to her, laying down with her head in Cat's lap and the bottom half of her body in the sunlight, not missing the slight hitch in the older woman's breathing as she does. Even beyond their earlier kisses, this is the most intimate they've ever been.

"Does it bother you, that I can never date Kara Danvers?" Cat asks quietly after they've both settled in. "Secrets have a way of tearing relationships apart."

"But it's our secret together," Kara says instantly. "It's not one that can come between us, not if we don't let it. We'll both know the truth, and so will those closest to us."

Cat doesn't look entirely convinced, but she also doesn't show any sign of pulling away. One of her hands is resting softly on Kara's stomach, the other is carding gently through her hair, and Kara feels more relaxed than she can remember feeling in a long time.

"It feels unfair to you. How can I give you everything you deserve if we always have to hide?” Cat whispers sometime later, Kara content to sit quietly and let the older woman work through her thoughts. “This already feels serious between us, for all that it’s been a few hours at most. What happens months down the line when you want more?”

It’s not the argument Kara had expected, though once Cat voices her concerns she understands. The months pretending have already brought up the difference in age, the potential complications at work, even the fear that Cat is somehow taking advantage of Kara. While they’ll have to face those issues again, for real this time, they’ve already discussed them and know where they stand. But this is new.

“I’d love to say we’ll face that when we get there,” Kara says slowly, still thinking her arguments through. “But I know you hate uncertainty, especially in your personal life. So let’s talk about it, because I know I’m not going to change my mind, and I don’t want anything to make you change yours.”

Cat looks almost torn, hope warring with cynical disbelief on her face, but her hands don’t stop their gentle movements, and Kara lets her think. “And what about marriage, children? We can’t even discuss whether we both would want those things, because there’s no way for you to have them with me. And that isn’t fair to you.”

Kara almost, almost wants to laugh at that, but she knows it would be a mistake. Cat is being open, softer than she’s ever seen before even during the whole charade they’ve been putting on, and she deserves a serious response. “Cat, as much as I know both of those things would be amazing, I accepted a long time ago that they weren’t for me, not on this planet.” There’s no ache to her voice, no repressed bitterness, and Kara hopes that Cat can tell how much she means this. “I can’t have children with a human, with any human. And while I love the thought of adopting, it wouldn’t be fair to take a child in and expose them to the risk that is my life. That’s why I love helping the kids I meet so much, helping them have a future gives me all the fulfillment I need.”

“That still leaves the issue of marriage,” Cat says, and Kara has to take a moment to let herself soak in the fact that they’re discussing marriage and children the same day they’d first kiss.

“What about it?” Kara asks, because this one is easy. “On Krypton marriages were between houses, they were arranged for social or political gain. Some couples grew to love each other, but others didn’t, and no matter which happened there was no divorce. I never grew up thinking marriage was some glamorous union that I wanted more than anything. When I got to Earth I didn’t understand for a long time why anyone would. I’d barely gotten to a point where I considered it even a possibility for myself before I became Supergirl.”

“And now you’ve lost that chance,” Cat points out.

“Says who?” Kara says challengingly, staring up at Cat with a determined look.

“How could you keep your secret if the world knows I’m in a relationship with Supergirl and then file a marriage license to Kara Danvers?” The question is sharp, an instinctive reaction to someone challenging her when she believes herself right, and Kara takes no offence.

“Why does there have to be a marriage license? Why does there even have to be a marriage at all? I’m happier than I ever thought possible just knowing I get to be in your life, Cat. That’s enough for me. The point of me telling you about Krypton was to show you that even though I’d started to think it was possible, it doesn’t hurt to let go.” Kara doesn’t back down, even as she softens her own look a little, hoping to keep Cat from feeling too attacked. “So it seems like the question here is whether you want to get married.”

From the look on Cat’s face Kara knows she’s hit on the truth, and if not for wanting to continue the conversation she’d probably be jumping up to fly a few circles around the city just to work off her joy. She’d meant what she said, but knowing that Cat already felt strongly enough about her to want a marriage someday was something she’d never expected, and she can’t help but find that fact amazing.

“It’s ridiculous of me, given how my last marriage ended,” Cat says, finally looking away from Kara’s knowing eyes. “But yes, I do. Part of it is wanting you to have everything, but I also can’t help wanting to take that step with you, have something with a chance of permanence for once.”

“And we can have that,” Kara says with certainty, enough to draw Cat’s gaze down to her once more. “Maybe not the whole legal aspect of it, but you can’t tell me that Cat Grant wouldn’t be thrilled at the chance for an exclusive on Kryptonian marriage practices in person.”

Kara can see the moment Cat understands what she’s saying, just from the way her shoulders lose a bit of their tension. She knows exactly what is being offered, and Kara makes sure that there’s no trace of hesitation on her face to give the older woman pause. Krypton’s memory might still be painful, and she might still have a desire to keep as much of it private as is possible, but she already knows she’ll do anything to make Cat happy.

“That _would_ be quite the exclusive,” Cat says thoughtfully. “Are you sure you’re okay with that thought? Of everyone seeing that part of your life?” The concern in her voice is clear, and Kara knows she sees past the surface of the offer to Kara’s hesitations.

“I may not be the biggest fan of how sensationalized everything about my family and planet is, but that doesn’t mean I’d offer if I wasn’t sure,” Kara says seriously, responding to the concern with a small smile before leaning up to place a gentle kiss to Cat’s lips. She still feels giddy at the thought she can do that now.

“Then we’ll have to talk about this again sometime, when you haven’t just survived an assassination attempt,” Cat says when the kiss ends, smiling down at Kara. “But for now, you should rest.”

“Stay with me?” Kara asks, eyes drooping despite her earlier claims that she didn’t need sleep.

“Of course.”

X

When Alex got the call, she very nearly threw her phone across the room. Of all the times this could have happened, of course she’d gotten the news on the day Kara was firmly out of commission. Not that her sister wouldn’t come flying to the rescue if she called, but even Alex wasn’t brave enough to risk facing Cat’s wrath if she interrupted them right now.

No, this one Alex gets to deal with on her own. Reports of an alien dangling Maxwell Lord off the top of his building after taking out his entire security team mean the DEO gets involved, as much as Alex wishes they could just let him fall. No one could accuse them of abusing their power then.

But at the end of the day Alex is a good agent, and even a mostly good person. She’d gotten orders to save the ass, so save him she would. And whatever alien had the good sense to go after him, maybe she’d even go easy on them. Still take them down, of course, but she’d try to avoid shooting them if possible.

When she reaches the building, the sight of Lord dangling over the edge sends her rushing inside without waiting for her team to arrive, knowing they’re only a few minutes out. She’d been closer tracking down a lead, and trying to stay close to Kara in case she was needed. Deciding the elevator is too much of a risk, Alex groans internally before heading for the emergency stairwell, reluctantly grateful that Hank insisted on regular endurance training to maintain stamina. Even pushing herself to make it up the stairs quickly, she’s barely out of breath when she reaches the top, though a twinge in her thigh tells her she’ll pay for the exertion later.

But all of that is pushed from her mind when she sees who exactly is holding Lord, along with most rational thought. Astra In-Ze, leader of the alien army that had posed the greatest threat to Earth since Alex became an agent, seems completely comfortable as she holds him by the ankle over a five story drop.

“You died,” Alex says in shock, rifle still pointing uselessly at the roof of the building as she processes. She knows this is a deadly threat, that now more than ever Astra probably wants her dead, but she can’t seem to move. Can’t seem to shake the memories from her mind. “How are you here, you died.”

“Ah, Agent Danvers, I’d wondered if you’d be the one to show,” Astra says with a chuckle, the sound sending shivers down Alex’s spine. “I was just asking this man where the Kryptonite used to harm my niece came from.”

“I tried that earlier,” Alex admits, finally shifting her rifle to a ready position despite knowing the rounds will do no good. “He says he doesn’t know anything about it.”

“Perhaps you used the wrong methods of persuasion,” Astra says, quickly lowering her arm a few inches to give Lord a jolt. “He’s been very talkative so far.”

“He confessed?” Alex breathes out, questions about how Astra is standing in front of her temporarily pushed to the side as she realizes they can finally take him down.

“No, not yet, but he’s been most forthcoming about many other things. Mostly offers of money and goods. I thought that perhaps a good scare might convince him to give the answers I actually want.” Astra seems unconcerned, but Alex has been around Kara long enough to recognize the subtle set of the older Kryptonian’s shoulders. Astra is angry, and given her temperament, probably far closer to violence than Kara usually comes.

“Agent Danvers, you have to help me,” Lord chokes out as Astra swings him a little, and Alex barely spares him a glance.

“Maybe if you’d answer the woman, she’d put you down,” Alex points out, unable to judge Astra’s methods. She’d locked the man in a cell for weeks, after all. “And I’m afraid I’m fresh out of Kryptonite.” It’s a risk to admit that, though Alex doesn’t think it will end badly for her. For some reason, despite staring down the barrel of a gun at Astra, this doesn’t feel like an enemy encounter. Or at least, it only does because of Lord’s presence.

“You are the only human with the knowledge and equipment to synthesize Kryptonite,” Astra says calmly, not reacting to Alex’s declaration. “Kryptonite that was used to harm my niece. So tell me, why should I believe your protests? Why should I not drop you now and keep you from hurting her ever again?”

“General, you can’t drop him,” Alex says reluctantly, knowing that whatever happens next, killing a civilian will only make things worse. “If you do, I’ll be forced to take you in.”

“It might be worth it,” Astra muses as she drops her arm again, Lord letting out a strangled shriek that makes Alex smirk despite the situation. “My army is disbanded, my goals are abandoned, to trade my own freedom for Kara’s safety is a reasonable sacrifice.” Astra is calm as she seems to think out loud, and Alex almost believes that she would just surrender. Still, that’s not why she came here, not entirely.

“Kara’s already forgiven you for so much,” Alex says, trying to make Astra understand, ignoring Lord as he begins to thrash again. “But if you do this, you know she’ll be disappointed.”

“Then perhaps this human should answer my question, before I’m forced to balance my niece’s displeasure against her safety,” Astra says, voice turning threatening as she focuses her attention on Lord once more. “Tell me, who did you give Kryptonite to, and did you know what purpose it would serve?” Her voice is cold, distant, the voice of a General and not the woman Alex has begun to see beneath that mask. And combined with her taking off from the roof so that she hovers over the cement foundations below them, it’s finally enough to get Lord talking.

“Maxwell Lord, you’re under arrest for the distribution of radioactive material,” Alex says as soon as Astra lands and releases him, stepping to the woman’s side with only a moment of hesitation as she produces cuffs for Lord. “And Astra In-Ze, I’m afraid you’re under arrest for uttering threats.” Lord chokes again at that, as Alex downplaying the events of the past few minutes, but Astra looks almost amused.

“Very well Agent Danvers,” is all she says, but the look in her eyes tells Alex that won’t be the last of it.

X

“Apparently Hank is in a good mood,” Alex says as she steps into the room holding Astra. “The information from Lord led to the man who’s been targeting Cat, we have him under surveillance now and will likely work with NCPD to bring him in within the day. And as thanks for your assistance, he’s speaking with the President about considering a sword through the chest as the equivalent of ‘time served’ so you can be released.”

It isn’t the news Astra had been expecting, Alex can tell that right away. Her face goes carefully blank, and she freezes, far more still than Alex has ever seen her. Always before there had been a tension about her, a sense of movement even when she was still, as if Astra was holding herself contained, ready to spring in any direction at a moment’s notice. And now, that’s gone.

“I do not understand,” Astra says numbly, hands hanging limply at her side. “I had hoped at most I would be kept here, and that Kara would be allowed to see me. Release seems like a foolish trust in me.”

“Do you think you can’t be trusted?” Alex asks evenly, emotions swirling now that they aren’t in the middle of a confrontation. She remembers her actions, remembers the weeks and months of regret, of strange grief that seems more personal than it should. Alex hadn’t wanted to stab Astra, hadn’t wanted to hurt her. They’d gone through too much, even though they were on opposite sides of the war, and Alex had seen a side of Astra that had been worth saving. But in that moment, it hadn’t been Astra, it had been the General, and Alex was a soldier,

The mask on Astra’s face softens at the question, a sad look shining through that Alex can read far more easily than she thinks is reasonable. She isn’t supposed to understand Astra this well. “I think I would do anything to keep Kara safe, no matter the cost.”

“Yeah, well that makes two of us,” Alex says, meeting Astra’s eyes for a long moment as something undefinable passes between them. For all that they’ve been on opposite sides, suddenly they seem closer than Alex can explain. She’s not sure she wants to explain. But she’s also not sure that she wants the moment to end.

X

The takedown of Cat’s would be assassin is almost anti-climactic given how much firepower the two agencies bring to the operation, but Alex doesn’t mind. She wants this to go off without a hitch, to make sure her sister is safe from someone who hates Cat Grant so much he’s willing to take on a superhero to get to her. Someone like that is insane, and the sooner he’s locked up the happier Alex will be.

As soon as he’s in NCPD hands, Alex promising to turn over all relevant findings from the ‘FBI’ investigations, she knows it’s time to tell Kara everything that’s happened. She just isn’t sure how to find the words. They talked a few times about Astra’s death, and Alex’s part in it, but the memories had always been too painful, and once they’d managed to mostly reassure each other, they’d stopped bringing it up.

“We got the guy,” Alex says when Kara answers the door, Cat a few steps behind her. “From the things we found in his apartment, I’d be surprised if this even made it to trial. His lawyers are going to know there isn’t much they can do to get him off.”

“I’m relieved to hear that,” Cat says, face relaxing as she looks at Kara, clearly glad the superhero won’t be put in danger from this situation again.. “Though I am surprised at the speed with which this whole thing wrapped up, after months of getting nowhere.”

“That’s a bit complicated, so why don’t I explain about the arrest findings first,” Alex says, knowing that if she brings up Astra first then Kara won’t hear anything after that. And they both, Cat especially, deserve to know that they’re safe now.

“Of course,” Kara says, seeming completely comfortable in Cat’s apartment as she leads Alex inside, grabbing a bottle of water from the kitchen for each of them before being asked. “Now spill, why did he target Cat in the first place?” she asks once they’ve all settled in the sitting room, Cat all but curled into her side as they face Alex where she sits on a chair of her own.

“Apparently his brother worked at CatCo and got fired,” Alex starts, running through the details in her head to make sure she doesn’t miss anything. “Not even by you, Cat, apparently he was some low level accountant who made a fairly serious mistake with some records. But he took it  badly, and went on some trip across the country to blow off steam and get his head on straight before looking for another job. He was on his way back when he got into an accident, and he didn’t make it.”

“That’s horrible.” Kara almost looks as if she wants to cry, and Alex is struck once again by just how deeply Kara feels things, if even a mention of an accident can get to her. Still, it’s been an emotional day, so Alex decides to cut her some slack.

“Yeah well, the brother, Joseph Kelton, apparently blamed CatCo despite it being an accident. And everyone knows that Cat is the heart of CatCo, so he fixated on you. He’s a decent computer programmer, and managed to hack into your calendar using his brother’s old access card as a jumping point. He’s done some consulting work for Lord Tech over the years, so when Supergirl got involved and showed no signs of leaving, he knew how to get Maxwell Lord’s attention, and assistance.” Alex doesn’t go into too much detail, despite knowing Cat probably wants to hear everything, every last bit of the evidence they’d found to convict him.

“So following Max paid off?” Kara asks as she pulls Cat protectively into her side, and Alex smiles at the way Cat rolls her eyes but doesn’t even pretend to fight the move.

“Not exactly,” she says as the smile slips from her face, knowing she’s about to drop some serious bombs on Kara. “Technically, we didn’t get the information from him at all. Astra did.”

As expected, Kara goes pale and still, mouth dropped open in shock as she stares into the distance, and Alex just lets her process. She’s seen this before, several times over the years, and knows Kara will refocus once she’s had a chance to work through what she’s been told. Cat seems to pick up on her patience, not moving to draw Kara’s attention in any way, just staying settled close to her side, a comforting presence while Kara thinks.

“But you killed her,” Kara eventually whispers, earning a surprised look from Cat. Alex supposes that’s not a sentence the average person hears on a daily basis, even if it is her life now. “I went to her funeral, I watched Non send her to Rao.”

“It wasn’t her body,” Alex says carefully, trying to explain without pushing Kara too much. “I hurt her, badly, but I didn’t kill her. She’s been recovering since then, Non thought she’d lost her taste for Myriad and kept her away from direct sunlight to slow the healing process as much as possible while he implemented the plans. He wanted to keep her in a coma until he’d succeeded, then bring her out when she could do nothing but accept what he’d done.”

“Well he sounds like a charmer,” Cat says sarcastically, reaching for Kara’s hand where it sits frozen on her knee. “I take it this Astra is someone you’re close to?”

“She’s my aunt,” Kara whispers, earning another surprised look from Cat, one that quickly gets turned Alex’s way until the brunette motions that she’ll explain later.

“She’s at the DEO for now, she wants to see you,” Alex says quietly, hoping she isn’t pushing Kara too far, too fast. “You need to rest at least one more night, but Hank says you’re free to visit whenever you want starting tomorrow.”

“Thank you,” Kara says, and Alex’s heart nearly breaks at how genuine Kara sounds. She’d somehow earned her sister’s forgiveness a long time ago, but it still surprises her every time she’s shown that.

“Anything to keep you happy.”


End file.
